Since the 20th century when NASA and other experts discovered that red light has benefits for wound healing and hair regrowth, its use has spread rapidly and widely.
Today, red light therapy is used for many more conditions, like anti-aging skin rejuvenation and elasticity, pain relief, and muscle recovery. It’s also commonly used to promote overall wellness.
Proportionate to the widespread use of red light therapy has also been the manufacturing of different red light therapy devices and their sale on popular online marketplaces like Amazon.
So, what are the most common red light therapy devices on the market?
Here’s a quick description of the 8 most popular types of red light therapy devices.
Red light therapy panels are compact red light therapy devices designed in a range of sizes to cover a small localized body area like the knee or wide body areas like the back.
Because they are versatile and can come in small to large sizes, panels also deliver full-body red light therapy benefits.
For this reason, we can confidently say they are the most popular types of red light therapy devices on the market, used for both at-home and professional photobiomodulation.
Also, their size allows the inclusion of both red light LEDs (630-660nm) for shallow skin penetration and near-infrared LEDs (810-850nm) for deeper skin, joint, and muscle penetration.
Their wide wavelength range also means they can address different treatment options, including skincare, muscle and joint healing, pain management, inflammation control, boosting body energy and metabolism, and overall body well-being.
Wands are lightweight, handheld devices used for targeted red light therapy to specific areas of the body. Because of their small size, these devices work best for face care to clear wrinkles, fine lines, age marks, and other skin concerns like psoriasis.
Larger wands may also be used to deliver near-infrared (NIR) low-level light therapy (LLLT) for joint pain relief and sore muscle recovery.
Because they do not require a high power output, some wands can be battery-powered. Others come with a USB charging port.
Wands are widely preferred by beauty enthusiasts for home or professional dermatology.
Light therapy masks are devices that take a face shape and are worn on the face to deliver low-level red light (630-660nm) wavelengths. The red light from the light-emitting diodes boosts energy activity in the mitochondria of face skin cells, resulting in better cellular activity and collagen production.
Face masks are designed to treat wrinkles, acne, scars, and fine lines while improving overall skin tone. For this reason, they are preferred by anyone looking to improve their visual appearance.
Their core advantage is they target the entire face in a single session while ensuring evenly distributed red light irradiance.
LED light therapy eye masks are devices you wear around the eyes to treat eye problems and issues related to the skin around the eyes like fine lines, fatigue signs, and puffiness.
The masks do this by targeting key eye parts like the retina to improve blood circulation and reduce inflammation. They also promote collagen production for the health of the skin around the eyes.
Eye treatment using red light therapy is especially common among those with age-related eye issues like color focus. They are also used by people who work on computers all day, causing considerable strain on the eyes. Note that these are different from those made for eye protection during RLT.
Red light belts and wraps are flexible devices designed for ease of use by wrapping around targeted body areas. These could be the knee, shoulder, waist, lower back, or the bust area.
Wraps and belts can deliver both red and infrared wavelengths of light. They are great for muscle recovery, joint and back pain management, and for improving blood circulation. As such, they are popular among sportspersons, bodybuilders, and those with conditions that cause chronic pain like osteoarthritis.
Red light therapy caps and helmets are headwear delivering photobiomodulation therapy for scalp health and hair regrowth. The light stimulates blood flow to the hair follicles to reawaken dormant hair follicles, enhance hair growth and regrowth, and improve hair thickness.
Because of their specialized target, red light helmets and caps are popular among people with hair loss conditions like androgenetic alopecia.
A red light therapy mat is a flat and flexible carpet implanted with LEDs to deliver both localized and full-body phototherapy. The user lies on the mat or contours it around body parts to allow the light to penetrate the skin, muscles, and joints.
As a result, the light stimulates blood flow to deliver red light benefits like enhanced collagen production, inflammation control, and pain relief.
Mats are a great option for people who want a relaxed, whole-body red light therapy experience to boost their overall wellness just lying on the mat. They also allow multitasking when wrapped around body parts.
Like panels, mats can deliver both visible red light and invisible infrared light wavelengths.
A red light therapy bed is a full-body device that delivers all-round phototherapy. The bed is embedded with red and infrared light LEDs both at the bottom and top to deliver a full-body light irradiance.
Red light beds are large, cumbersome to move and store, and take up plenty of floor space.
For that reason, they are more common in wellness centers such as spas, salons, gyms, healthcare centers, and sports recovery centers.
Beds also have thousands of light diodes, which explains why they consume more power than other RLT devices.
So, what health and beauty issues can you address with these red light therapy devices?
Choosing one red light therapy over another has a lot to do with the problem you want to address.
Of course, your problem has to be among those that research has confirmed can be effectively addressed with red light therapy.
Here’s a list of problems that you can address with red light therapy:
Skin and aging problems you can address with red light therapy include:
Red light therapy treats these skin and aging problems by:
Best RLT Devices to Choose: Wands, face masks, and panels.
Issues related to inflammation and pain include:
Red light therapy treats these conditions by:
Best RLT Devices to Choose: Panels, pads & wraps, mats, and beds.
Related problems include:
Red light therapy treats these conditions by:
Best RLT Devices to Choose: Panels, pads & wraps, mats, and beds.
Scalp and hair growth problems you can treat with RLT include:
Red light therapy treats scalp and hair conditions by:
Best RLT Devices to Choose: Caps & helmets, and panels (they deliver targeted and broad-radiating light).
Red light therapy has been shown to help with these eye problems:
Red light therapy addresses these eye problems by:
Best RLT Devices to Choose: Eye masks (With extreme attention to recommended safety precautions).
Red light therapy has shown positive outcomes in improving aspects of general wellness, including:
Red light therapy achieves these treatments by:
Best RLT Devices to Choose: Panels, wraps & pads, mats, and beds.
With the knowledge of the popular red light therapy devices in the market and the issues you can address with the devices, all that’s remaining is to know how to choose the right, high-quality device for you.
Consider the following 7 factors to choose the best red light therapy device for you.
Red LED light therapy devices can target localized body areas or your entire body.
When choosing a red light therapy device, go for handheld, portable devices like wands, eye masks, face masks, wraps & pads, caps & helmets, and small-sized panels for targeted therapy.
Instead, opt for large panels, mats, and beds for full-body therapy.
The depth of light penetration depends on its power density (irradiance) and intensity. While both visible red light and invisible infrared light are safe, they have a different density and intensity.
Red light has a near-surface skin penetration of about 1-2mm. It is recommended for the treatment of skin conditions like wrinkles, acne, fine lines, wound healing, and hair regrowth.
Near-infrared light penetrates deeper to 3-5mm. It is endorsed for joint pain treatment, muscle recovery, and deep tissue treatment.
Light intensity is the dosage in J/cm2 and is obtained from irradiance and the treatment time. Light intensity for surface-level red light treatment is lower than that of deep-penetrating devices.
When buying a red light therapy device, consider that the higher the device’s power density (in mW/cm2) and light intensity, the deeper its penetration depth.
We recommend consulting with a medical professional, dermatologist, or red light therapy expert to know the best power density and light intensity for your condition.
While the therapeutic window of light goes from 600 to 1200 nanometers, the safest range popularly used in red light therapy is 630-660nm for red light and 810-850nm for near-infrared light.
The first is mostly used for surface skin penetration, while the second is more effective in red light treatment that requires deep penetration into the muscles and joints.
For quicker and more effective outcomes, red and NIR LEDs are often embedded in the same device to combine the specific wavelengths of each red light type.
When buying a red light therapy device, consider that:
Small-sized, handheld red light therapy devices like wands, face and eye masks, and small panels are easily portable.
Larger panels and beds are less portable.
However, by buying a red light therapy panel for home use, you can solve the portability issue by adding a rolling stand to your cart.
Instead, beds are stationary and are best for wellness centers like spas, gyms, saunas, and healthcare centers.
A red light therapy device that offers a shorter treatment time and great efficiency is more convenient. This means purchasing one that has a higher power intensity (mW/cm²). It also means you need less time and fewer sessions to see the results.
Devices with lower power intensity need longer exposure time to be effective.
Panels, mats, large belts & wraps, and beds have higher power intensity. Wands, caps, and masks have lower intensities.
Hands-free red light therapy devices provide greater comfort and allow you to multitask. You can read or do yoga. As such, the comfort of hands-free devices like wearable masks and helmets is guaranteed.
Instead, the comfort of larger devices like panels can be enhanced by fixing them on stands or placing them on a table for a hands-free experience. They can also be wall-mounted, which saves space.
Generally, the best way to ensure comfort when purchasing a red light therapy device is by considering your schedule and lifestyle. Go for high-intensity devices if you prefer quick sessions and lower-intensity devices for a longer and more relaxed therapy experience.
When purchasing a red light therapy device, go for one with a longer warranty and FDA registration, clearance, and approval. While FDA-approved points to device quality, registration, and FDA-cleared are valuable steps toward approval and show the manufacturer’s goodwill to ensure user safety. Also, opt for medical-grade devices.
Smaller red light therapy devices have fewer LEDs and cost less. Larger devices like panels and beds will cost you more.
While smaller devices with fewer LEDs, like face masks and wands, are effective for targeted treatment, you cannot achieve the benefits of full-body therapy with these devices.
Our recommendation is to choose panels over beds for at-home devices. That’s because panels can also be adapted to save space and provide full-body treatment.
See our article on red light panel vs bed for more details.
From all we’ve said so far, it would be easy to say that when choosing a red light therapy device for home use, the panel tops the list.
Here are the three most relevant reasons why we recommend RLT panels as your home device:
Panels can offer localized therapy for small target areas like the face and knee. But they are also perfect for wider area therapy and full-body therapy, depending on their size.
Consider the RedLiteX Pro Series Panels. The RedLiteX RL300 works great for small-area targeted therapy, the RedLiteX RL600 and RedLiteX RL1200 for wide areas like the back, and the RedLiteX RL1500 for full-body therapy.
Because they have higher energy density and can be embedded with both red and NIR LEDs, panels provide fast and effective phototherapy. This means you can do fewer and shorter sessions with great light treatment results. Besides, you can use the panel for both surface skin treatments and deep joint and muscle treatments.
Especially when compared to mats, wraps, belts, face masks, and beds where the user’s skin is in contact with the device, panels are a more hygienic option for use by multiple family members. Plus, you do not have to clean the device every time a person uses it.
Choosing the best red light therapy device for your needs can be challenging, especially if you are new to phototherapy.
We’ve saved you the trouble by describing the red light therapy devices on the market and how to choose the best red light therapy device for you.
In a nutshell:
Still have questions? The experts are here to help you!
1. RehabMart: Expert Explains How To Choose A Red Light Therapy Device.
2. Hue Light USA: How to Choose a Red Light Therapy Device? (7 Key Features).
3. NASA: NASA Research Illuminates Medical Uses of Light.
4. Wunsch A, Matuschka K. (2013). A Controlled Trial to Determine the Efficacy of Red and Near-Infrared Light Treatment in Patient Satisfaction, Reduction of Fine Lines, Wrinkles, Skin Roughness, and Intradermal Collagen Density Increase.
5. Fan T, Li Y, Wong A.Y.L., et al. (2024). A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis on the Optimal Wavelength of Low-Level Light Therapy (LLLT) in Treating Knee Osteoarthritis Symptoms.
6. Bahrami H, Moharrami A, Mirghaderi P, Mortazavi S.M.J. (2023). Low-Level Laser and Light Therapy After Total Knee Arthroplasty Improves Postoperative Pain and Functional Outcomes: A Three-Arm Randomized Clinical Trial.
7. Sun S-Q, Shen J-J, Wang Y-F, et al. (2023). Red Organic Light-Emitting Diodes Based Photobiomodulation Therapy Enabling Prominent Hair Growth.
8. Harpreet S., et al. (2020). Optically Improved Mitochondrial Function Redeems Aged Human Visual Decline.
9. Zhu Q, Cao X, Zhang Y, et al. (2023). Repeated Low-Level Red-Light Therapy for Controlling Onset and Progression of Myopia – A Review.
10. Giménez M.C., et al. (2022). Effects of Near-Infrared Light on Well-Being and Health in Human Subjects with Mild Sleep-Related Complaints: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study.
11. Lim S., Lee S., & Park E. (2019). Fat Loss by Red and Near-Infrared LED Phototherapy.
12. Çevik Z.B.Y., Karaman O., Topaloğlu N. (2023). Photobiomodulation Therapy at Red and Near-Infrared Wavelengths for Osteogenic Differentiation in the Scaffold-Free Microtissues.
